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(jke  Oouteaa  of  O'l  Oiddioad, 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2016 


https://archive.org/details/medicalworkinjapOOberr 


flDeMcal  Wov\{  in  3apan. 


BY  DR.  JOHN  C.  BERRY 
For  twenty-one  years  Medical  Missionary  of  the  A.  B.  C.  F.  M. 


/®j[^EDICAL  Missions  originated  with  our 
Lord.  The  miracles  of  healing  which 
followed  his  Sermon  on  the  Mount 
became  rapidly  known  throughout  Capernaum, 
and  “when  even  was  come”  the  sick  of  the 
city  were  carried  to  him.  Parents  with  chil- 
dren, friend  with  friend,  “ all  they  that  had  sick 
with  divers  diseases  brought  them  unto  him,” 
filling  the  yard  and  street  about  the  house. 
The  great  heart  of  the  Saviour  was  touched, 
divine  authority  went  out  in  human  sympathy, 
and  he  graciously  “ laid  his  hand  on  every  one 
of  them  and  healed  them.”  In  companies  they 
returned  to  their  homes,  and  a city  of  forty 
thousand  souls  rejoiced  in  the  restoration  of  its 
sick  to  health.  The  work  was  done,  rest 
secured,  and  the  Great  Physician  himself  then 
sought  the  stillness  and  seclusion  of  Nature, 
and  held  communion  with  his  Father. 

Such  was  the  first  Christian  dispensary  ser- 


I 


MEDICAL  AV  O R K IN  JAPAN 


vice.  Luke  follows  this  account  Avith  the 
record,  “ Jesus  went  about  all  Galilee  teaching 
in  their  synagogues  and  preaching  the  Gospel 
of  the  kingdom,  and  healing  all  manner  of  sick- 
ness and  all  manner  of  disease  among  the 
people” — a record  of  the  first  Medical  Mis- 
sionary tour.  Indeed,  during  all  the  actiA'e  life 
of  our  Lord  he  made  prominent  this  service  of 
healing,  and  in  his  final  instructions  to  his 
disciples  said,  “ Into  Avhatsoever  city  ye  enter 
and  they  receive  you  heal  the  sick  that  are 
therein  and  say  unto  them.  The  kingdom  of 
God  is  come  nigh  unto  you  ”. 

The  apostles  and  early  disciples  to  Avhom 
Avas  thus  committed  poAver  over  disease,  Avere 
faithful  in  heeding  their  Lord’s  command,  and 
the  Acts  of  the  Apostles  stand  as  the  report  of 
the  first  Medical  Missionary  Societ}-.  " By  the 
hands  of  the  apostles  Avere  many  signs  and 
wonders  Avrought  among  the  people,”  and,  “then 
came  multitudes  out  of  the  cities  round  about 
Jerusalem  bringing  sick  folk  and  them  that 
were  vexed  Avith  unclean  spirits,  and  they  Avere 
healed,  every  one.” 

This  Christ  method  of  bringing  salvation  to 
the  entire  man  continued  in  the  early  church 
until  it  became  evident  that  the  gift  of  healing 
had  been  withheld,  Avhen  the  founding  of  Chris- 
tian hospitals  assumed  prominence,  several  of 
such  institutions  being  in  existence  at  the  time 


2 


MEDICAL  WORK  IN  JAPAN 


of  the  Council  of  Nicea  — one  of  the  articles 
of  that  conference  enumerating  the  necessarj- 
qualifications  of  a Christian  hospital  steward. 

Such  has  been  the  origin  of  medical  missions, 
such  the  spirit  in  which  they  are  conducted 
today ; and  the  noble  results  of  such  work  in 
Japan  show  them  to  be  as  applicable  now  as  a 
means  of  revealing  God’s  love  to  men  as  when 
Christ  was  on  earth.  Wherever  men  sin  and 
suffer,  a practical  application  to  their  needs  of 
the  teaching  of  the  parable  of  the  Good  Samari- 
tan is  sure  to  touch  the  heart,  allay  prejudice, 
win  confidence,  and  awaken  a warm  spirit  of 
personal  gratitude  ; and  this  especially  in  the 
mission  field.  Oriental  peoples  generally  regard 
the  cause  of  disease  as  some  distinct  entity  — 
a malignant  spirit  sent  into  the  individual  as  a 
punishment  for  his  sins,  the  severity  of  his 
suffering  being  in  proportion  to  the  extent  of 
his  previous  wrong  doing.  One  of  the  popular 
names  of  leprosy  in  Japan  is  Ten-kei-byo  — 
Heaven’s  punishment  disease.  This  theory  of 
the  origin  of  disease  too  frequently  alienates  from 
the  sufferer  the  sympathy  of  relatives  and  friends, 
and  leads  to  neglect  and  censorious  criticism. 
This  discourages  the  patient  and  hardens  his 
character.  To  all  this  the  spirit  of  Christ  is  in 
striking  contrast ; hence  the  tremendous  strength 
of  the  medical  missionary  in  the  community, 
and  the  far-reaching  influence  of  the  mission 


3 


MEDICAL  M'  ()  R K IN  JAPAN 


hospital,  in  preparing  the  way  for  the  Gospel 
and  in  exemplifying  its  teachings.  Indeed,  the 
experience  of  Paul  and  Barnabas  at  Lystra, 
when  priest  and  people  sought  to  offer  sacrifice, 
is  being  re-enacted  today  in  the  experience  of 
many  medical  missionaries.  The  writer  pain- 
fully recalls  such  an  attempt  at  worship  when 
engaged  in  medical  work  at  Kakugawa,  and 
again  later  at  Ogaki,  when  at  the  head  of  the 
Surgical  Relief  Corps  of  the  Doshisha  Hospi- 
tal for  the  relief  of  earthquake  sufferers. 

The  origin  of  disease  being  thus  intimately 
associated  with  sin  in  the  heathen  mind,  the 
treatment  becomes  a religious  rite,  and  the 
priest  frequently  controls  the  ceremony.  This, 
therefore,  gives  increased  religious  significance 
to  the  work  of  the  medical  missionary,  and  when 
accompanied  by  instruction  which  enables  the 
patients  and  their  friends  to  know  that  the  kind- 
ness received  is  but  the  application  to  human 
needs  of  the  wonderful  act  of  redemption,  the 
feeling  of  profound  gratitude  to  the  physician 
becomes  transmuted  into  profounder  love  to 
God.  Idols,  temples,  heathen  ceremonies  and 
means  of  gratifying  unbridled  passions  await  the 
restored  patient  as  he  returns  to  old  associa- 
tions, and  the  true  medical  mis.sionary  never 
allows  his  patient  to  pass  beyond  his  influence 
without  giving  him  a knowledge  of  God’s  com- 
mands and  of  a Saviour’s  love. 


4 


M E I)  1 C A L \V  O R K IX  JAP  A X 


Thus  in  the  dignity  and  grandeur  of  his 
mission  the  medical  missionary  is  strong  in  his 
work  as  he  seeks  to  render  his  service  in 
Christ’s  spirit,  in  Christ’s  name,  and  by  Christ’s 
authority. 

American  Christians  were  the  first  to  restore 
medical  work  to  its  place  in  modern  missionary 
operations.  In  1819  Dr.  John  Scudder  was 
sent  to  Ceylon.  So  apparent  was  the  benefit 
of  his  work  to  the  mission  that  medical  men 
were  soon  added  to  the  working  force  of  the 
American  Board.  Dr.  Asa  Dodge  was  sent  to 
the  Syrian  field  in  1832,  Dr.  Nathan  Ward  to 
Ceylon  in  1833,  Dr.  Peter  Parker  to  China  in 
1834,  and  Drs.  Adams  and  Wilson  to  South 
Africa,  and  Dr.  Grant  to  Persia  in  1833.  These 
were  the  pioneers  of  a long  line  of  medical 
missionaries  — the  American  Board  alone  hav- 
ing sent  out  since  then  one  himdred  and  four- 
teen physicians,  twenty  of  them  women.  The 
first  lady  physician  sent  out  by  Congregation- 
alists  was,  I believe,  (Miss)  M.  L.  Wadsworth, 
M.  D.,  who  went  to  Turkey  in  1871. 

Dr.  James  C.  Hepburn,  now  living  at  East 
Orange,  New  Jersey,  in  his  ninetieth  year,  w'as 
the  first  medical  missionary  to  Japan.  He  had 
labored  at  Singapore  in  1840,  and  at  Amoy 
from  1841  to  1846,  laying  the  foundation  of  a 
work  that  has  since  spread  over  the  entire 
Fokien  province.  Compelled  to  return  to  this 

5 


MEDICAL  WORK  IN  J A I'  A N 


country  by  the  ill  health  of  Mrs.  Hepburn,  he 
settled  in  New  York,  where  he  soon  built  up  a 
lucrative  practice,  which  he  conducted  for  thir- 
teen years.  With  this  thorough  preparation 
for  effective  work,  he  reached  Kanagawa  in 
October,  1859,  representative  of  the 

Presbyterian  church.  A Buddhist  temple  was 
secured  for  residence,  the  idols  removed,  and 
the  building  converted  into  a Christian  home. 
The  rigid  edicts  against  Christianity  made  it  a 
prohibited  faith,  but  Dr.  Hepburn  began  at 
once  a religious  service  in  his  house,  to  which 
foreign  residents  were  invited.  Unable,  how; 
ever,  because  of  the  opposition  of  the  Japanese 
authorities,  to  establish  a hospital  and  dispen- 
sary at  Kanagawa  he  purchased  property  in 
Yokohama  in  1862.  Here,  on  the  foreign  con- 
cession, he  was  able  to  conduct  his  work  with- 
out opposition. 

In  1863,  at  the  earnest  request  of  a Japanese 
physician,  who  wished  an  education  for  his 
grand-daughter,  Mrs.  Hepburn  began  a school 
for  girls — “ the  mustard  seed  of  education  for 
women  and  girls  in  Japan.”  “Japanese  women 
are  without  understanding,”  said  the  emperor 
in  1871.  “A  stupid  woman  is  less  troublesome 
in  the  family  than  one  that  is  wise,”  was  the 
sentiment  of  Confucius.  And  yet,  within 
twenty-five  years  from  the  beginning  of  Mrs. 
Hepburn’s  school,  a million  and  a half  Japanese 
6 


A1  E D 1 C A L WORK  IX  JAPAN 


girls  were  under  school  instruction.  Today 
the  aim  of  the  government  is,  “ no  village  with 
an  ignorant  family,  and  no  family  with  an 
ignorant  member.” 

For  fifteen  years  Dr.  Hepburn  continued 
in  active  medical  work,  performing  many 
surgical  operations  till  then  unknown  in  Japan. 
As  an  oculist  he  attained  a high  degree  of 
skill,  while  his  gentle  manner  and  kindly 
sympathy  made  him  a most  valuable  worker 
in  those  early  days  of  strong  anti-foreign 
prejudice  and  bitter  hatred  of  Christianity. 
He  had  the  full  confidence  of  the  foreign  com- 
munity, who  contributed  liberally  toward  the 
support  of  his  dispensary.  He  would  never 
take  any  renumeration  for  his  work,  holding, 
wisely,  that  this  v/as  given  in  Christ’s  name  as 
a ministry  of  service  to  the  people,  and  was 
above  pecuniary  reward.  At  the  age  of  sixty 
years  he  withdrew  from  active  medical  practice 
and  devoted  his  time  to  literary  and  evangel- 
istic work.  He  prepared  the  first  English- 
Japanese  dictionary,  a work  of  superior  excel- 
lence, took  a leading  part  in  the  translation  of 
the  New  Testament  scriptures,  and  prepared  a 
Japanese  Bible  Dictionary.  For  forty  years 
he  labored  as  physician,  evangelist,  translator 
and  lexicographer.  His  eminent  service  for 
Japan  has  been  highly  esteemed  by  her  people, 
but  she  still  remains  immensely  his  debtoj. 


7 


MEUICAL  WORK 


N JAP  A N 


Some  day  may  there  be  a monument  erected  to 
the  memory  of  Japan’s  first  Medical  Missionary. 

In  November  of  1859  the  Reformed  Church 
of  America  (Dutch)  sent  to  Kanagawa  Dr. 
D.  B.  Simmons,  the  second  medical  missionary 
to  reach  Japan.  After  a year  of  effort  Dr. 
Simmons  resigned  from  the  service  of  his 
Board  and  engaged  in  private  practice.  He 
was  a most  agreeable  and  lovable  character, 
and  exerted  a refining  influence  among  the 
Japanese,  by  whom  he  was  gready  loved  and 
respected. 

In  May,  1872  the  writer  was  sent  by  the 
American  Board  as  its  first  medical  missionary 
to  Japan.  He  was  cordially  welcomed  by  the 
Mission,  who,  during  all  tlie  years  of  his  ser- 
vice, loyally  co-operated  with  him  in  every 
possible  way  to  make  his  work  a success.  A 
few  months  after  reaching  Kobe,  he  accepted, 
with  the  advice  of  the  Mission,  the  position  of 
Director  of  the  International  Hospital,  where 
he  was  also  permitted  to  have  a dispensary  for 
the  Japanese  and  wards  for  in-patients.  A 
year  later  he  resigned  and  accepted  the  appoint- 
ment of  Foreign  Director  of  the  Prefectural 
Hospital,  in  connection  with  which  service,  and 
with  the  co-operation  of  Japanese  physicians, 
he  established  dispensaries  in  Akashi,  Kaku- 
gawa,  Himegi,  Sanda,  Arima  and  Hiogo.  In 
these  dispensary  buildings  Christian  services 
8 


MEDICAL  W O ft  K IN  JAPAN 


were  held,  thus  constituting  the  beginnings  of 
Christian  interest  and  of  Christian  organization 
in  these  localities.  Christian  physicians  con- 
nected with  these  medical  services  became 
officers  and  leading  members  of  the  churches 
later  organized.  About  this  time  a government 
regulation  provided  that  no  licenses  should  be 
granted  to  physicians  to  practice  after  the 
Chinese  system  of  medicine,  but  that  all  new 
applicants  for  medical  practice  would  be 
required  to  pass  an  examination  in  western 
medical  science.  This  popularized  at  once  our 
system  of  medicine,  and  sent  to  the  hospitals 
and  dispensaries  throngs  of  men,  young  and 
old,  eager  to  learn,  and  who,  at  every  dispensary 
service,  wonld  bring  their  difficult  cases  for 
consultation  and  treatment. 

Five  years  later  the  writer  became  similarly 
connected  with  the  Okayama  Prefectural  Hos- 
pital, and  there  established,  as  at  Kobe,  and 
with  like  results,  dispensary  stations  in  the 
surrounding  towns,  and  five  years  later  still, 
established  the  Doshisha  Hospital  and  Train- 
ing School  for  Nurses  at  Kyoto.  The  first  five 
thousand  dollars  for  the  founding  of  this  latter 
work  was  contributed  by  ladies,  and  annual 
appropriations  were  regularly  made  by  the 
Woman’s  Board  of  Missions,  Boston.  Miss 
Linda  Richards,  now  of  the  Training  School  of 
the  Worcester  Insane  Hospital,  was  the  first 


9 


MEDICAL  WORK  1 i\  JAP  A N 


superintendent,  and  Dr.  Sara  Buckley  medical 
associate.  This  was  the  first  nurse’s  school 
proposed  for  Japan,  and  the  first  established 
under  missionary-  auspices.  It  is  one  of  the 
highest  and  most  productive  forms  of  mission- 
ary service,  and  should  have  a place  in  every 
mission  where  there  is  medical  work. 

Of  this  medical  work  and  its  influence  during 
the  “ seventies  ” and  early  “ eighties  ” Rev.  Dr. 
John  H.  De  Forest  writes;  “ It  is  like  a dream 
in  these  days  of  absolute  freedom  of  travel  and 
work  to  look  back  only  thirty  years  and  see  how 
medcal  men  were  in  the  vanguard  of  the  mission- 
aries, going  before  them,  allaying  the  appre- 
hensions, and  changing  the  prejudices  of  the 
people,  and  thus  preparing  the  way  for  the  wide 
proclamation  of  the  Gospel.  They  were  the 
ones  who  made  it  possible  to  hire  houses  and 
open  preaching  places,  where  otherwise  it  would 
not  have  been  done  for  long  years.”  The 
founding  of  the  hospital  and  training  school  at 
Kyoto  was  a powerful  factor  in  removing  local 
prejudice  against  our  Christian  college  there. 

Dr.  Henry  Tanning  was  the  next  medical 
missionary  to  reach  Japan,  coming  under  the 
auspices  of  the  American  Episcopal  church, 
July  4,  1873.  After  three  months  he  secured 
rooms  in  a Japanese  house  near  the  Foreign 
Concession,  Osaka,  for  a dispensary,  where  his 
work  was  carried  on  until  the  spring  of  1880, 
10 


MEDICAL  WORK  IX  J A 1'  A X 


when  the  St.  Barnabas  Hospital  was  built  and 
occupied.  He  is  still  connected  with  this 
hospital,  which,  under  his  skill  and  manage- 
ment, has  become  self-supporting.  The  statis- 
tics for  the  year  ending  June  30,  1904,  are  as 
follows  : Visits  by  out-patients,  9,390,  of  which 
2,815  were  charity  cases.  New  cases,  3,420; 
visits  made  to  patients  at  their  homes,  480 : 
treated  in  the  wards,  81  ; number  of  days  of 
treatment  of  in-patients,  2,100.  The  salutary- 
influence  of  this  noble  work  has  gone  to  the 
remotest  regions  of  Central  Japan. 

Dr.  R.  B.  Teusler,  a later  appointment  under 
the  same  Board,  is  in  charge  of  St.  Luke’s 
Hospital,  in  Tokyo.  This  is  one  of  the  largest 
of  the  present  mission  hospitals  in  Japan. 
Located  at  the  capital,  it  has  a large  field  of 
operations,  and  does  a most  acceptable  work 
for  both  Japanese  and  foreigners.  The  Episco- 
pal church  gives  increasing  attention  to  medical 
work,  having  seven  dispensaries  and  hospitals 
out  of  a total  of  fourteen  now  in  the  country. 

Dr.  Wallace  Taylor,  of  Oberlin,  was  the 
second  physician  to  reach  the  field  under  the 
American  Board.  He  came  both  as  an  or- 
dained clergyman  and  graduate  in  medicine, 
and  was  ready,  therefore,  to  take  up  either 
branch  of  service.  On  reaching  Kobe,  he 
accompanied  the  writer  on  a medical  tour  to 
Akashi,  Kakugawa,  and  Himeji.  On  the  third 
1 1 


M K D J C A L WORK  IN  JAPAN 


day  of  this  service,  being  recalled  to  Osaka  on 
account  of  illness  in  the  Mission,  he  remained 
to  carry  on  the  service,  Mrs.  Berry  acting  as 
interpreter.  So  impressed  was  he  with  the 
opportunities  for  medical  work  at  that  stage  of 
missionary  effort,  that  he  decided  to  devote  his 
time  wholly  to  this  line  of  service.  He  is  still 
on  the  field  (Osaka)  where  for  thirty  years  he 
has,  with  signal  ability  as  a surgeon,  conducted 
a work  of  magnitude.  He  also  visits  Hiogo 
once  a week,  and,  in  company  with  Japanese 
physicians,  carries  on  the  work  at  the  Hiogo 
dispensary. 

Dr.  Arthur  H.  Adams,  of  Sandusky,  Ohio, 
reached  Japan,  under  the  American  Board, 
November,  1874.  A graduate  of  Wesleyan 
University,  of  Yale  College  (1867)  of  Yale 
Seminary  (1872)  and  of  Yale  Medical  School 
(1874),  he  brought  to  his  work  rare  gifts  and 
accomplishments.  Tactful  in  his  co-operation 
with  the  Japanese,  magnanimous  and  self-sacri- 
ficing, he  soon  won  a place  in  the  hearts  of  his 
friends,  who  cherish  for  him  still  the  highest 
regard  and  fondest  recollection.  In  connection 
with  Japanese  physicians  in  Osaka,  he  estab- 
lished there  a well-organized  medical  work, 
which  is  now  carried  on  by  Dr.  Taylor.  He 
died  of  typhoid  fever  Nov.  23,  1879.  He  was 
greatly  beloved. 

Shortly  after  this  the  United  Presbyterian 


12 


M E n I C A I-  WORK  IX  JAPAN 


Church  of  Scotland  sent  to  the  field  Dr,  H. 
Faulds,  to  be  located  at  Tokyo.  He  was  the  first 
physician  sent  out  from  Great  Britain.  He 
was  a man  of  exceptional  ability,  an  easy 
writer,  a good  speaker,  and  of  scientific  attain- 
ments. He  established  a promising  work,  but 
soon  retired  from  the  field. 

The  Edinburgh  Medical  Missionary  Society 
now  sent  out  Dr.  Palm.  He  was  an  ideal  mis- 
sionary. Of  exceptional  ability  both  as  a 
physician  and  as  a surgeon,  he  established,  and 
for  about  ten  years  conducted,  a large  work  at 
Niigata.  He  was  a forceful  speaker,  and  his 
large  capacity  for  work  enabled  him  to  do 
much  to  carry  forward  both  the  religious  and 
medical  work  of  his  station.  He  needed  help, 
however,  and  in  its  absence  he  was  forced  to 
retire  from  the  field,  when  the  station  passed 
under  the  care  of  the  American  Board.  An 
active  and  consecrated  body  of  Christians,  and 
a wide-spread  influence  for  good  was  the  result 
of  Dr.  Palm’s  successful  work  in  the  populous 
and  wealthy  province  of  Niigata. 

Dr.  McDonald,  of  Canada,  next  came,  under 
the  auspices  of  the  Canadian  Methodist  Board 
of  Missions.  For  several  years  he  resided  at 
Shidzuoka,  and  later  in  Tokyo.  He  has  an 
impressive  personality,  is  a physician  of  unusual 
ability,  renders  a most  acceptable  service  to 
missionaries  and  others,  and  has  the  full  confi- 


13 


MEDICAL  WORK  IN  JAPAN 

dence  of  all  who  know  him.  He  is  highly 
respected  by  the  Japanese. 

I cannot  close  this  personal  reference  to  the 
medical  missionaiy  force  of  Japan  without 
mentioning  anotlier  who  in  unconnected  with 
any  mission  board  — Dr.  W.  Norton  Whitney. 
Inheriting  from  his  sainted  mother  a strong 
love  for  the  Japanese  people,  he  sought  and 
obtained  from  Washington  an  appointment  as 
interpreter  to  the  United  States  Legation  at 
Tokyo.  He  early  established  a Christian  hos- 
pital and  dispensar}'  for  the  Japanese,  and 
invited  to  his  aid  native  Christian  associates. 
It  was  soon  found  that  the  hospital  work  would 
not  permit  a divided  strength,  and  so,  in  a 
spirit  of  heroic  self-sacrifice,  he  resigned  his 
official  position  at  the  Legation,  and  gave  hini- 
•self  entirely  to  this  medical  servdce.  From  his 
work  in  Tokyo  an  influence  has  radiated  to  the 
most  distant  portions  of  the  realm.  For  seven- 
teen years  this  work  has  been  earned  on,  dur- 
ing which  time  about  twenty  thousand  people 
have  received  medical  help,  and  learned  as  well 
of  the  preciousness  of  the  Gospel  of  Christ. 
Dr.  Whitney  is  widely  recognized  as  an  oculist 
of  ability,  and  he  is  a most  devout  Bible  stu- 
dent. In  this  noble  work  of  consecration  Dr. 
Whitney  is  ably  supported  by  his  wife,  an  Eng- 
lish lady  of  refinement  and  great  intelligence. 
His  work  is  chiefly  supported  by  friends  in 

J4 


MEDICAL  WORK  IN  JAPAN 

England  and  America,  and  by  gifts  in  Japan. 

Reference  to  the  work  for  lepers  in  Tokyo  at 
Miss  Youngman’s  asylum,  and  to  that  at 
Koyama  under  the  care  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church  must  not  be  omitted  from  the  list. 
Leprosy  is  a great  scourge  among  the  Japanese, 
and  one  of  the  most  pathetic  sights  to  be  seen 
in  that  fair  land  is  the  mendicant  leper  wander- 
ing fiom  shrine  to  shrine  and  from  temple  to 
temple  in  the  vain  hope  of  receiving  miraculous 
relief.  The  mistaken  idea  that  the  disease  is 
transmitted  by  heredity  still  prevails,  and  social 
ostracism  is  therefore  sternly  applied  to  every 
member  of  a family  containing  a leper.  Con- 
cealment of  their  misfortune  is  the  first  instinct 
in  the  minds  of  these  unfortunates,  and  by  con- 
finement within  the  family  circle  its  members 
are  constantly  exposed  to  the  dangers  of  this 
communicable  disease.  No  remedy  for  its 
successful  treatment  has  yet  been  discovered, 
and  the  removal  of  these  unfortunates  from 
families  and  communities  to  asylums  is  a great 
blessing.  No  form  of  Christian  charity  is  more 
appreciated  than  this. 

Among  missionary  workers  in  the  Farther 
East  — Japan,  Korea  and  China — there  is  a 
firm  conviction  that  they  are  about  to  witness  the 
greatest  victories  of  the  Cross  yet  realized  by 
the  church.  In  Japan  is  already  seen  a nation 
born  in  a day.  Within  the  active  life  of  a 


IS 


M E n I r A L WORK  IN  JAPAN 


single  missionary  worker  has  been  seen  the 
evolution  of  the  soldier  from  one  bearing  spear 
and  bow  to  the  irrisistibte  hero  of  Liaoyang ; 
from  gross  darkness  and  prejudice  of  her  people 
to  intelligent,  open-minded  receptivity;  from 
revolting  idolatry,  to  exalted  spiritual  concep- 
tions of  God.  In  her  departments  of  govern- 
ment, law,  education,  diplomacy,  and  in  a con- 
siderable proportion  of  her  family  life,  she  is 
essentially  Christian.  In  her  great  struggle 
now  with  Russia  her  victorj'  means  an  exten- 
sion of  the  Christian  ideals  of  religious  and 
political  liberty  among  all  the  peoples  of  the 
East.  The  present  is  a crisis  among  the 
nations  there.  It  is  a time  for  the  preparation 
of  which  the  providences  of  God  have  long  been 
active,  one  for  which  these  nations  have  long 
waited.  In  their  weakness  and  need,  they  are 
looking  to  the  Christian  nations  of  the  West 
for  instruction,  protection  and  spiritual  leader- 
ship. In  this  hour  of  unparalleled  opportunity. 
Medical  Missions — the  highest  form  of  applied 
Christian  charity  — will,  in  co-operation  with 
the  church,  perform  for  Korea  and  China  the 
work  so  successfully  accomplished  for  Japan. 


